The nine hazard classes
International and U.S. rules use the same nine classes, several of them split into divisions. The class drives packaging, labels, placards, where the container may be stowed on a ship and which goods may travel together. A product can have more than one hazard, so paperwork shows a primary class and any subsidiary hazard. U.S. rules make the person offering the shipment responsible for classing and describing it, and the product's safety data sheet is a common starting point.
- 1 Explosives, 2 Gases, 3 Flammable liquids
- 4 Flammable solids, 5 Oxidizers and organic peroxides
- 6 Toxic and infectious substances, 7 Radioactive material
- 8 Corrosives, 9 Miscellaneous, which includes lithium batteries
Booking and paperwork before the gate
Most ocean carriers want a dangerous goods request approved before they confirm the booking, and some vessels, routes or ports refuse certain classes. The shipping paper must describe the goods with the UN number, proper shipping name, hazard class and, where one applies, the packing group. Dangerous goods documents often have an earlier cut-off than general cargo. Missing or wrong details can get a container rolled, stopped at the gate or turned away by the terminal.
Hazmat rules on the truck and rail legs
In the United States, federal hazardous materials regulations accept IMDG Code shipments on the truck or rail leg when part of the trip is by vessel, but the vehicle or railcar must be placarded under U.S. rules. A driver hauling a placarded load needs a hazmat endorsement on the commercial driver's license, so fewer truckers can take the job. Some terminals also limit how long certain classes may stay, which makes prompt pickup important.
Example
A shipper booking lithium ion batteries (UN3480, Class 9) from Busan to Long Beach needs the carrier's dangerous goods approval and a complete declaration before the container goes to the terminal.
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Official sources
Questions
What does Dangerous Goods mean?
Dangerous goods are substances and articles that can endanger people, property or the environment in transport, such as flammable liquids, gases, corrosives and lithium batteries. They fall into nine hazard classes, and U.S. regulations call them hazardous materials.
Are dangerous goods and hazardous materials the same thing?
Mostly, yes: dangerous goods is the international term, and U.S. regulations say hazardous materials. The lists do not match exactly, since some materials regulated under the IMDG Code are not hazardous materials under U.S. rules, and the reverse also happens.
What happens if dangerous goods are not declared?
Undeclared or misdeclared dangerous goods are a serious safety risk on ships and in terminals. Carriers can refuse or hold the container, and many apply penalties under their tariffs, on top of any action by regulators.